Democrats are the disloyal opposition
by Editorial Board · The Washington TimesOPINION:
Once, patriotism was nonpartisan. Great patriots came from both political parties.
Our first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, saved the Union during the Civil War. Thomas Jefferson, an inspiration for the Democratic Party’s roots, was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Before he became president, Dwight D. Eisenhower led the crusade in Europe during World War II. In his inaugural address, President Kennedy urged his fellow Americans to ask what they could do for their country.
In an age of hyperpartisanship, that has changed.
According to a Reuters poll, 64% of Republicans plan to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with flags or bunting, but only 27% of Democrats will do so.
Although Trump derangement syndrome doubtless plays a part here, Democratic estrangement from American values goes back much further.
In a 2023 Gallup Poll, when President Biden was in office, only 29% of Democrats said they were “extremely proud to be an American,” compared with 60% of Republicans.
Democrats have been rejecting America for quite some time. According to a Pew Research survey, 70% of Democrats believe American society is “fundamentally racist.” Only 16% of Republicans agree.
Two-thirds of Democrats have favorable views of socialism, compared with a scant 16% of Republicans. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Bernard Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with the Democrats, are not aberrations.
Advertisement Advertisement
These are aspects of a worldview. Democrats are far more likely to say that higher taxes are the answer to our fiscal problems and that gun control is the best way to fight crime, but America started as a revolt against taxes and succeeded because of men with guns.
In a way, high taxes and gun confiscation are un-American.
With Democrats turning their backs on America, how long before Americans turn their backs on the Democratic Party, on principle?
The United States has an estimated 15.8 million military veterans. It is hard to believe they are thrilled about the way Democrats disrespect the flag they once served.
At one time, the major disagreement between Democrats and Republicans was on spending, but they were united in their love of country. That began to change with the 1960s anti-war movement and the 1972 presidential campaign of Sen. George McGovern, South Dakota Democrat. Over time, it has just grown worse.
Advertisement Advertisement
Democrats have answered “Make America Great Again” not with how, but with why.
Today, you could justifiably call Democrats the disloyal opposition.
Follow the author
Editorial Board
Follow author updates Follow Click to follow. Manage followed authors